Control handle



April 2, 1946.- ARCULARIUS 2,397,828

CONTROL HANDLE Filed Feb'. 1'1, 194s 2 sheets-sheet 1 2 I IVENTOR.

Chazjes Aram/as 44 ATTORNEYS v April 2, 1946, c. ARcULARlUs 2,397,828

f CONTROL HANDLE f Filed FebQll, 194:5 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Charles Azzzlaz'zzs y parts by. slight rearrangement thereof.

Patented Apr. 2, 1946 unir-ea stares PATE Nr i CONTROL HANDLE Charles,-Arcnlarus, .New Canaan,l Conn., assgnon. by mesne assignments, to TheIi. Maxson Corporati'omNew'Yoi-k, N; Y., a vcorporation-ofA`Application.v February 11, 1943, Serial-No. 475,591

( Cl; 20u-157)' ZGlaims.

This invention-relates to.- control handles for electricallyy controlledguns and .isfespeciallyf suit.- able.1oruse in: connectionY with guntraining and iing systemsof the typeemployedu in turrets. Such.systemsmay includea ,control lever. having a. cross `bar provided withcontrol handles at its ends, which-carry, controlswitches. for variouselectrically operated devices, including firing triggers,intercommunication system switches andthe. like.. Inview,ofLtheiactthat.the handles are.V advantageously contoured` to provide. arm andicomfortable grip. fitting.l the. hand, and the switches must be locatedjfor operation by the proper 'ngers, the l0cati0n.,.of` such switches onthe left' handle is necessarily the` reverseot that employed on.theright handle.. Consequently it been necessary tdemploy, differentdesigns for the two handles andjto. manufacture themseparately.

Thegeneralj. purpose ofthe inventionis to provide improvementsV in the.general. construction andV arrangementoihandles of, the indicated type.One. feature of theinvention; is the provision of aconstruction.whichemployesthesame parts for bothhandles.arrangedsothateither a right or a left handle. maybegassembledfrom the same Another feature` is to` provide:` ay simplevand, strong.construction which. can be; manufactured readily from synthetic. resinsorothermaterialsA adapted for casting or molding.

Other objects. andsadvantages.V will.- appear. from the followingdescription consideredinconnection withfthefaccompanyingdrawings inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of handles in position at theends f a control lever cross plece;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal transverse section through one of the handleson line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross section through the upper end of a handleon line 3-3 of Fig. 2 with parts broken away;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation View of a handle provided with a dead mansswitch;

Fig. 5 is an inner face view of said handle provided with operatingswitches at both sides;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view; and

Fig. 7 is a bottom view of said handle.

The handle I0 includes a body II formed from a case I2 and a cover I3,detachably connected and enclosing the operating parts. The body II iscontoured to provide Aa downwardly extending grip portion I4, a head I5anda mounting socket I6 which may be mounted on either end of consetscrewsy I8.

Thei case, I 21 (Fig. ,2); is advantageously formed ofmolded or cast`synthetic resin. The mounting socket. IB may, beofimetal, and may befixed in place` in the case atthefmoldingor casting of the case. 'Iheysocket.. IB is provided. with a central passage ,Y I which .communicateswith theinterior of the case .and with-.theeendioi hollow cross pieceII, forprovidinga conduit through which thelead wires may extend fromthe handle 1 through the control` lever,

The cover I3 iszdetachably, mounted on case I2 by screws 2-2; andtheinneriaces of the cover and case I2 are suitably hollowed out to form aspaceor. spacesin which the switches, leads andl operating levers ortriggers may be located. In the form illustrated a central` compartment23 is provided, extending. into both. the casel2 and cover I3.

One operatingswitchis advantageously located at the side of the head'.I5 where-it may be operated by the index finger oi the gunner if theswitch isatthe. rear of the handle,` and by the thumb. ofthe `gunner ifthe. switch is in front. The cover I3is provided with openingsll at boththe front andthe back of the head f5, each adapted toreceive a fingerpieceor trigger 25. In the illustrated form the hger piece 25`isprovided adjacent onev endv with laterally extending pivot studs 26which rotatably fit in alignedsockets 2.1 formed incontiguous portionsof the case I2' and cover I3; Aisuitableswitch 28 is mounted in case I2,as by screws 29', in register with the nger piece 25.` The opposite ends3S' of opening 24 advantageously converge toward the outside of thehandle, overlying the ends of finger piece 25 and providing a stop forthe free end thereof which is normally pressed outwardly by springpressure from switch 28.

Various types of switch and iinger piece construction may be employed.The form illustrated is a finger piece 25 whose free end face 3lregisters with the adjacent end 30 of opening 24 and is provided with atransverse projection 32 which merges with the outer face 33 of thefinger piece and is shaped for ready and comfortable engagement by thegunners iinger. A knob 34 extends inwardly from the iinger piece intoposition for engagement with a spring pressed actuating element (notshown) of switch 28.

The symmetrical opening 24 on the opposite side of the handle head I5,as shown in Figs. 1-3, is provided. This opening may be closed by a llerblock 35 which snugly ts the opening. The filler I block 35 is desirablyheld in place by retaining studs 33 which are provided at opposite sidesof 1 the block adjacent each end thereof, and which fit into opposedpairs of sockets 21 formed in the case I2 and in the cover I3,respectively. The f i case I2 is provided with switch mounts 31 adja--bas cent end openings, 24. With this arrangement a switch 28 and itsfinger piece 25 may be located ment illustrated in Figs. 4-7. The/ringerpiece 25 may likewise be positioned with the projection i 32 at eitherend of opening 24 by'locatingthe pivot studs 26 in the appropriatealignedk pair of sockets 21, and by mounting switch28 inthe properposition relative toY nger piece 25. A

l switch construction of the latter type isillustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 4,6 and '7, and is arranged vfor use as a dead mans switch, of the typewhich cuts out of operation appropriate parts of the apparatuscontrolled from the handle when the switch is not in operation by thehand of the gunner. f

In the construction illustrated (Fig. 2f) the case at either side of thebody I or, if desired, a switch l may be mounted at each side as in thearrangeresins, though they can likewise be made in other ways and fromother materials, such as wood or` metaL'with the provision of suitableinsulation where necessary. Y Y

I have described what I believe to be the best embodimentsr of myinvention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodimentsshown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in theappended claims.

Y l. A control handle including, in combination,V a hand-fitting body, aswitch construction including a digitally operable actuating member, a

' switch mounting construction within the body arranged 'to support theswitch in either'of two e laterally symmetrical positions suitablefor'ren- VderingV the handle, according to the choice of i switchmounting, distinctively arhandle Yfor right hand use or distinctively ahandle for left hand use, said body having laterallysymmetrical openingsfor alternatively accommodating the switchactuating membenfmountingelements for theV i switch-actuating member Ycarried by said member I3is provided with an opening 40 extending along the center line of itsouter'face at theflower end of the grip portion I4. Aswitch lever 4Iextends through opening 40 and is pivotally mounted.Y at

i its inner end by studs 42 which rotatably fit into semi-cylindricalsockets 43 formed in bosses 44 on case I2 and into registeringsemi-cylindrical sock- 44 when the body VI I is assembled. A coil springl 4l on one of the pivot studs42 has an innerY end 48 bearing againstthe interior of case I2 and a I ets formed in lugs 46 on cover I3. Thelugs 45 extend into case I2 into register with bosses and by the bodyadjacent to eachA opening, a removable ller for an unused opening, andmounting elements on lthe Vfiller for cooperating with said mountingelements on the body. Y

' 2i.V A hand grip handle and switch assembly adapted, distinctively foruse'by one hand of an operator but fully convertible into a mirror imageassembly adapted distinctively for use by the other hand of theoperator; said assembly comprising a handle casing composed of separablecomplehook shaped outerend 49 extending around the i l adjacentl lowerface of lever4l, arrangedV to bias said lever upwardly. f

A suitable switch 52 is mounted on boss A53 in '40 the caseV I2, and isengaged by a lug 54 on lever li! bearing against a Yspring pressedoperating element (not shown) of the switch, the coil spring 4'! beingof suflicient strength to throw the switch by the pressure of lug 54against said element.

The outer end of lever 4I is located for engagement by the lower edge ofthe gunners hand,

` :which will depress the lever and release switch 52 when the hand isin normal position gripping handle I; but upon removal ofthe hand thespring 41 will move lever 4I upwardly `and, throw switch 52. Y

The parts including tlcecaseY I2, cover I3, linger piece 25, ller block35 and lever 4I are adapted for construction from molded or castsynthetic recesses at either side ofthe mentary casing sections, each ofsymmetrical.

construction with respect Vto a transverse longitudinal median plane ofYsymmetry, means for securing the casing sections to one another inpredetermined relation, means within the casing for supporting a switchon either Side of said plane and with either end toward the operator, Y

of the casing'. A

7 y v CHARLES ARCULARIUS.

